Eng Chea San, director general of the fisheries administration, told Khmer Times on Monday that the drop in exports is the result of strong local demand as the country’s population expands and foreign visitors pour in.

“International arrivals keep increasing, which results on stronger demand for the product at home,” he said.

To develop the industry sustainably, Mr Chea San said the government aims to keep yields from growing in the future.

He added that the government is now looking for development partners that can help Cambodia expand the aquaculture sector in order to meet local and international demand.

Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon said in January that the European Union and the United States have so far contributed roughly $150 million to support the Kingdom’s aquaculture sector.

In January, the US announced the ‘Commercialisation of Aquaculture for Sustainable Trade’ programme, a 17-million project that will run from 2019 to 2023 targeting five provinces.

Fish is a vital food source in Cambodia, accounting for over 75 percent of the population’s animal protein intake, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation.

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